Volunteers plant three 'tiny forests' in one day

Hundreds of volunteers have planted three "tiny forests" in north London in a day.

Children and adults planted 1,800 trees next to the North Circular in Finchley as part of a "citizen scientist" project to understand how soil conditions impact tree growth.

Jane Rampin, land manager at climate change organisation Earthwatch, said the site chosen was an "unloved area" with "appalling" air pollution - and she hoped the tree planting would change this.

Volunteer Wendy Alcock said: "Helping everyone connect with nature is what the project's all about."

It was organised by Earthwatch, with Barnet Council and Pure Data Centres.

Each plot housed about 600 trees in an area the size of a tennis court.

Ms Rampin said: "It's a very exciting science project.

"We've planted three tiny forests at the same time, and we've planted them using different soil preparations.

"We're trying to see what makes the trees grow the fastest. The quicker the trees grow, the quicker they sequest the carbon."

"We're going to have good citizen scientists working alongside Middlesex University and Oxford University, taking regular data readings to see how the trees are growing," Ms Rampin said.

"It will be this ongoing thing, because a lot of children that live in inner city areas really have very little connection with nature.

"This is a living classroom for them to come back to."

Dame Dawn Childs, chief executive of Pure Data Centres, said they funded the project to help local communities.

"There will be a significant amount of data captured by local citizen scientists here at this site, and that will help to inform some of the mitigations for climate challenges ahead," she said.

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